Ballot or the like



Dec. 27, 1966 D. D. MATHEWS 3,294,424

BALLOT OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 12, 1965 g E -40- INVENTOR.

DAVID D- MATHEWS T IE1- E- @298 MM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,294,424 BALLOT OR THE LIKE David D. Mathews, 98 Ford Road,

Carmel Valley, Calif. 93924 Filed Oct. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 495,274 4 Claims. (Cl. 28363) The present invention relates to a new and novel ballot or the like usable with an electronic computer.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a ballot or other choice-selection tallying device which may be utilized with a conventional electronic computer to rapidly and accurately tally the users choices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature which permits the choice tally to be effected in an extremely economical manner.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a device of the aforedescribed nature that utilizes a plurality of vertically stacked cards fastened together along a common side, with such cards being formed With the plurality of stylus-receiving perforations that are vertically aligned when the cards are flat. The cards are imprinted with choice-offering indicia adjacent each of the perforations. A tally sheet is disposed on the bottom of the cards, such tally sheet being formed with a plurality of choice-selection indicating elements arranged below the perforations and with each of the choice selection indicating elements being keyed to a single one of the choice-offering indicia whereby a stylus or the like may be inserted through the perforations into engagement with the choice-selection indicating elements to indicate the users choices. Thereafter, the tally sheet is processed by a conventional electronic computer so as to rapidly and accurately tally the choices selected by the user.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of said invention, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertically exploded perspective view of an election ballot embodying the present invention;

FIGURE'2 is a perspective view showing the manner whereby the voter selects a choice on the top card of said ballot;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the manner whereby a voter makes a choice selection of the second card of said ballot;

FIGURE 4 is a broken vertical sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the completed ballot being directed towards an electronic computer.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGURE 1 thereof, a preferred form of ballot or like choice-selection document is illustrated in vertically exploded form. The ballot includes a plurality of vertically stacked cards designated 10, 12 and 14. A tally sheet 16 is disposed below the lowermost card 14. A backing pad 18 is in turn disposed below the tally sheet 16. The cards 10, 12 and 14, the sheet 16 and the backing pad 18 are fastened together along a common side as by means of staples 20. The cards 10, 12 and 14 are formed with a plurality of perforations 24, with such perforations being vertically aligned when the cards are flat. It is not essential that each of the cards be formed with the same number of perforations, instead as indicated in FIGURE 2, the upper card may be formed with perforations 24a, 24b, 24c and 24d. The next lower card 12 may be formed with perforations 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d, together Patented Dec. 27, 1966 with additional perforations which do not bear reference numerals in the drawings.

The upper surface of the cards 10, 12 and 14 are imprinted with choice-offering indicia, as indicated particularly at 29 and 30 in FIGURE 2, and by 31 and 32 in FIGURE 3. By way of example, the topmost card 10 is shown imprinted at 29 with the language State Tax to the right of which language appears the word Yes adjacent perforation 24a and the word- No adjacent perforation 24b. Similarly, at 30 the language School Tax is imprinted, while to the right of this language the word Yes appears adjacent perforation 24c and the word No appears adjacent perforation 24d. On card 12 at 31 there appears the language Water Bond, and to the right of which language is imprinted the word Yes adjacent perforation 26a and the word No adjacent perforation 26b. At 32, card 12 is imprinted with the language Stack Ballot to the right of which appears the word Yes adjacent perforation 245s and the word No adjacent perforation 26a. The tally sheet 16 is formed with a plurality of choice selection-indicating elements arranged below each of the perforations formed in the cards 10, 12 and 14. These choice-selection indicating elements may take the form of a pre-perforated punched blank designated 27 in FIGURE 4. The tally sheet 16 itself will preferably take the form of a conventional I.B.M. card or the like usable with a conventional I.B.M. electronic computer or other similar device. Also, the elements 27 could be merely blank spaces.

The backing pad 18 is preferably formed of a yieldable material such as a plastic foam.

In the use of the aforedescribed device the voter or user is provided with a conventional stylus 33, or other like pointed instrument. The stylus 33 is preferably formed at its lower portion with an insertion point 34 having a rectangular cross-section generally corresponding to, but slightly smaller than, the dimensions of the perforations in cards It), 12 and 14 and the prepunched blank 2'7 of tally sheet 16.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, assuming that the users choice in connection with the indicia at 29 was Yes, he would insert the stylus 33 downwardly through the perforation 24a. The lower portion of the stylus would pass downwardly through the perforations 24a and 24a" formed in cards 12 and 14 respectively, until the stylus insertion point 34 engaged the prepunched blank 27 of the tally sheet 16 disposed below the aforementioned perforations. Continued downward movement of the stylus 33 would tear the blank 27 loose from the tally sheet 16, as indicated in FIGURE 4. During this process the backing pad 18 serves to permit accurate alignment registration as the stylus 33 effects such removal of the blank 27 from the tally sheet 16. The stylus 33 would then be lifted upwardly and could be used again in making the choice indicated at the indicia 30 on top card 10.

When all of the choices indicated on the top card 10 have been selected, the top card 10 is folded upwardly, as indicated in FIGURE 3. Thereafter, the stylus 33 would be used to make the selections appearing on card 12. Card 12 is then lifted upwardly and the same procedure would be repeated with respect to the bottom card 14. After all the selections have been made the tally card 16 is removed from the ballot and as indicated in FIGURE 5 processed by a conventional electronic computer 40.

The aforedescribed election ballot offers important advantages over conventional balloting arrangements. A ballot embodying the present invention permits rapid and accurate tallying of the voters selections without requiring special voting machines. Instead, a ballot embodying the present invention may be utilized with conventional electronic computers. It will be apparent that such computers are not usable solely with ballots embodying the present invention, but instead may be used in conjunction With standard electronic computing procedures. Thus, it is not necessary to purchase an expensive voting machine usable only for tallying ballots at election times. A further advantage of a ballot embodying the present invention is that it may be utilized as an absentee ballot, thereby permitting absentee ballots to be processed in the same manner as regular ballots. A ballot embodying the present invention also permits elimination of the conventional sample ballot. Such sample ballots are now mailed out prior to election day so that the voter can review the ballot in detail and make his selections in his own home rather than in the limited time allowed in a voting booth. It would be feasible to use the actual ballot embodying the present invention in the same manner as a sample ballot, i.e., the ballot embodying the present invention could be mailed out prior to the election day whereby the voter could study such ballot. The voter would then bring his ballot to the polling place and punch it in the voting booth.

it should be particularly noted that although there has been shown and described hereinbefore as a representative embodiment of the present invention an election ballot, such invention could also be embodied in other types of choice-selection tallying means, e.g., a selective choice examination paper. It should also be noted that while three cards 10, 12 and 14 are shown in the representative embodiment of the invention described hereinbefore, more cards could be employed without depart ing from the spirit of the present invention. Further, it is possible to provide the lower end of the stylus with marking means where the choice-selecting elements 27 are merely blank spaces on the tally sheet 16.

Various other modifications and changes may be made with respect to the foregoing detailed description, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A ballot or the like usable with a stylus and a computer to tally choices, comprising:

a plurality of vertically stacked cards that are fastened together along a common side;

a plurality of stylus-receiving perforations formed in said cards, said perforations being vertically aligned when said cards are fiat;

choice-offering indicia printed on the upper surfaces of said cards adjacent each of said perforations;

a tally sheet on the bottom of said cards and fastened thereto;

and a plurality of choice selection-indicating elements on said tally sheet arranged below said perforations with each of said choice selection-indicating elements being keyed to a single one of said choiceoffering indicia whereby said stylus is insertable through said perforations into engagement with said choice selection-indicating elements to indicate choices whereafter said tally sheet is processed by said computer to tally said choices.

2. A ballot or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said choice selection-indicating elements are pre-perforated punch-out blanks.

3. A ballot or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein a backing pad is disposed below said tally sheet.

4. A ballot or the like as set forth in claim 2 wherein a backing pad is disposed below said tally sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,350,914 8/1920 Baker 2835 1,500,777 7/1924 Stevenson 48 2,052,369 8/1936 Toops 35-48 2,295,818 9/1942 Wistar 35-48 2,932,095 4/1960 Keeler 3548 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BALLOT OR THE LIKE USABLE WITH A STYLUS AND A COMPUTER TO TALLY CHOICES, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY STACKED CARDS THAT ARE FASTENED TOGETHER ALONG A COMMON SIDE; A PLURALITY OF STYLUS-RECEIVING PERFORATIONS FORMED IN SAID CARDS, SAID PERFORATIONS BEING VERTICALLY ALIGNED WHEN SAID CARDS ARE FLAT; CHOICE-OFFERING INDICIA PRINTED ON THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID CARDS ADJACENT EACH OF SAID PERFORATIONS; A TALLY SHEET ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID CARDS AND FASTENED THERETO; AND A PLURALITY OF CHOICE SELECTION-INDICATING ELEMENTS ON SAID TALLY SHEET ARRANGED BELOW SAID PERFORATIONS WITH EACH OF SAID CHOICE SELECTION-INDICATING ELEMENTS BEING KEYED TO A SINGLE ONE OF SAID CHOICEOFFERING INDICIA WHEREBY SAID STYLUS IS INSERTABLE THROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH CHOICE SELECTION-INDICATING ELEMENTS TO INDICATE CHOICES WHEREAFTER SAID TALLY SHEET IS PROCESSED BY SAID COMPUTER TO TALLY SAID CHOICES. 